Living Life's Greatest Adventure

December 3, 2017

The Adventure Continues – Winter 2017 Nov/Dec Update

Hello from Redding, CA and Charlotte, NC. The last couple of months it has been a lot less travel but not less to do. Life has it’s way of keeping us busy. That is just what the last couple of months have been. The month of Nov started with a bang as we had the Leaders Advance conference. That is where leaders from all over the world come to learn and rest and allow us to pray for them and bring them a break from them serving instead we serve them. It was also a chance to reconnect with some of the people I met in Cuba.

It was so good to see them again and hear how God continues to move in their lives. I also had a special surprise to see Chad and Leilani Owens who are a couple that works with my kids in Texas. I love how the Lord orchestrates those divine encounters for us.

This is the fabulous team I get to work with. They are from all over the world. We have two people from Brazil, one from the Philippines, one from India, one from Taiwan, one from Hong Kong, one from Guatemala, one from Australia, one from Korea/Honduras, and Five Americans. It is such a picture of unity and peace among the nations. We all represent our countries and bring the best of what we are to our internship. We are here to give and serve the people we meet and to model what it looks like to live in a culture of honor and love those we work with. This month we have been focusing on being thankful for the team we are working with. This has been a good opportunity to learn to see what is right in people instead of focusing on what we see wrong in them. Imagine what the world could be like if people started hearing how good they are instead of how bad they are. I know I feel very encouraged when people give me a compliment or encourage me. When you have 15+ people to be thankful for it shifts your focus to the good.

Another amazing team I get the privilege to serve is my Faces of Redding team. This is just one young lady I work with. They are all super gifted and we are working to bring honor to people who are bringing positive change to our city. We take a picture and then they draw a portrait that represents the people that are being honored. I am blessed to work with such great people. The photography and artwork will be displayed in City Hall starting in Jan 2018. With a big Gala open house on the 26th of January. Please pray that all the parts of this project come together. As there is much to be completed in a short amount of time. I have great confidence in the artist and the whole team.

When we make a commitment to God we do it with our whole heart. It at times requires us to not be near the ones we love. There are also times that He gives us an opportunity to embrace the ones we love on very timely occasions. That was the case for this Thanksgiving. God opened a beautiful door for my family and me to have this Thanksgiving together. Thanksgiving has always been a special time for my family. It was a time for us to come together enjoy good food, laughter, and fun. I was able to be with my parents, my sister and her son, my daughter, and my son. We also had some time to catch up with some friends and enjoy time at the Southern Christmas Show. It was a super special blessing to be home at this time. I am thankful to God for the gift He gave me to be with my family. It is a gift and a memory I will treasure for the rest of my days.

These are my paintings from this season. God has been taking me on a journey of discovery. I am discovering some new ways to paint and using some different techniques. Mostly I have been working with texture. Yet even though they are not my normal paintings they still have meaning and purpose behind them. The first is the Fountain. It represents something that the Lord asked me to do ten years ago. He called me to a fountain and told me He had a journey to go on. That journey began ten years ago and then he told me in late September I had completed my journey, he also said that He was proud of me. It symbolizes how God has made me a vessel fit for the master’s use and He is the water that flows through me. The second painting is Lion’s roaring. It was a painting that I had been praying about over a year. I feel like the Lord is teaching the Church to Roar like He does. He is giving the Church a new voice. It does not look like we would think it would look like. The Lord spoke to me that I should not judge what my painting looks like to me I should be more concerned what the painting releases. I am working continually to improve my skills as an artist. Yet I am allowing God to stretch me out of my comfort zone. The Third painting is about seeing into the eyes of the Lord. The eyes are the windows to the soul. As we look into the eyes of the Lord and He sees into us. He sees our true self and sees into our soul. Yet He will not look away from us no matter what He sees in us. He continues to see into us and encourages the good in us not the negative. So this painting is to show how God draws us closer to Him. He draws us with His love for us.

We have had the opportunity to touch many lives teaching them not only how to be a better artist but also how they can be co-creators with God. Over the first couple of months of school we set-up our teams and classes for the remainder of the school year. We have been helping to oversee three separate art classes. One in the 1st year of the school, one in the 2nd year of school, one that met on Sunday for the church members. This has been a lot of work but worth all the time invested in it.

Christmas break is soon upon us. It is hard for me to believe that I am already close to halfway through school. That seems to be the way it goes as soon as the school year starts it gets busy and then I blink and it is over. There is still more to come. January will keep me on my toes with the Faces of Redding Art opening, a trip to Merritt Island, FL and then back. In February I will be heading to Harrisburg, PA and then hopefully in March, I will be in Switzerland. Then there may be a short trip to Dublin, CA and then not long after that we will be having graduation. With all the travel coming up I know that life will be stretched in every way because the rest of life does not stop while you are on a trip. What I have learned is how to settle in and work from peace and enjoy the journey.

As always I invite you not only to join my journey in my updates but also to partner with me through prayer or through giving to my travel fund. It is fully tax deductible.

I understand in these times we are in, that it is not always easy to give. I do trust the Lord. He has not taken me this far to cause me to fail. I just need to keep stepping in the direction He is taking me. I would love for you more than giving to partner with me in prayer.

Please Pray

Completion of our project for Faces of Redding

For a new stream of income to open that can work with my schedule.

For balance of work and rest

For safe travels and good ministry on my upcoming trips

Funds for the trips to come in

I wish you and your family the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years. Thank you so much for your prayers and support I could not have made this journey without you. Once again I always enjoy hearing back from you and welcome your partnership in my adventures.